Injectable hyaluronic acid hydrogels encapsulating drug nanocrystals for long-term treatment of inflammatory arthritis.

ABSTRACT: Antiproliferative chemotherapeutic agents offer a potential effective treatment for inflammatory arthritis. However, their clinical application is limited by high systemic toxicity, low joint bioavailability as well as formulation challenges. Here, we report an intra-articular drug delivery system combining hyaluronic acid hydrogels and drug nanocrystals to achieve localized and sustained delivery of an antiproliferative chemotherapeutic agent camptothecin for long-term treatment of inflammatory arthritis. We synthesized a biocompatible, in situ-forming injectable hyaluronic acid hydrogel using a naturally occurring click chemistry: cyanobenzothiazole/cysteine reaction, which is the last step reaction in synthesizing D-luciferin in fireflies. This hydrogel was used to encapsulate ca

SUBMITTER: Gao Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8780912 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature